Golf targets



0. P. SMITH GOLF TARGETS May 1, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 10, 1954 INVENTOR. ORSON P. 51mm @(Mm/ HTTUENEYJ May 1, 1956 $M|T|-| "2,743,929

I GOLF TARGETS Filed Sept. 10, 1954 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v YARDS scozso INVENTOR. 0250 1 SMITH H TTOBNEYG United States Patent GOLF TARGETS Orson P. Smith, Seattle, Wash.

Application September 10, 1954, Serial No. 455,248

1 Claim. (Cl. 273-181) This invention relates to golf practice apparatus including targets that are adapted to be set up on a driving course, together with electrically operated means for registering hits that are made thereon by golf balls driven from a'teeing-oif area.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide golf practice apparatus that can be used by golfers in practicing the making of drives of different length from a teeing area, and which apparatus embodies, inconnection therewith, means for audibly or visually indicating the scoring of hits on the different targets.

More specifically stated, it is the primary object of the present invention to provide, for pleasure, practice and development of golfing skill, a driving course including a teeing-off area, and a plurality of targets that may be located at various places and at different distances from the teeing-off area which the player or players will attempt to hit with the driven balls; each target having means associated therewith whereby a hit on the target will be registered and made known either by visual or audible means.

Other objects of the invention reside in the relationship of parts embodied in the invention; in the details of construction of their parts, and in their mode of operation in accomplishing the particular purposes for which they were designed.

In accomplishing the above mentioned and other objects of the invention, I have provided the improved details of construction, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a view diagrammatically illustrating an arrangement of parts embodied by the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of one of the ball targets embodied by the invention.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-section of the target, taken on the line 3-3 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a wiring diagram as associated with each of the targets.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged, fragmental portion of one of the targets as seen from the front side.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged section taken on line 66 in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a front view of the hit registering scoreboard.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

In Fig. l, I have designated a driving course or fairway of substantial length by reference numeral 10. At one end of this course is a teeing-off area, or platform, designated generally at 12, and at the other end of the course, and at different distances from the teeing-off area, are targets which are individually designated by reference numeral 13. Adjacent the teeing-off area 12 is a registering or scoreboard, designated in its entirety by reference numeral 15, on which hit registering means are located and which means are so connected with the targets, as presently explained, that when a target is 2. struck by a ball the registering means is energized to visually or audibly make the fact known to the player.

The teeing-off area may be like the usual golf teeing area from which golf balls are driven. The targets preferably are located at different distances from the teeingoff area, in the same general direction but not necessarily in alignment. For example, the first target may be set at one hundred yards, the second at one hundred twenty-five yards, the third at one hundred fifty yards, the fourth at two hundred yards and so on. However, these distances are not critical and the number of targets employed may be more or less in number. In the present instance, I show four targets being employed.

Each target is here illustrated as being in the form of a vertically disposed, circular backstop 20 as noted in Figs. 2 and 3; this backstop being supported by a pair of vertical legs 2121 that are fixed to the back of the backstop, and which may either be driven into the turf of the course as shown in Fig. 2 or fixed to a movable base structure. Fixed concentrically to the front face of the backstop 20 is an electrically conductive metal disk 25 and stretched across the face of this metal disk, and slightly spaced therefrom, in close parallel relationship, are electrically conductive wires 27; these being supported by non-conductive binding posts 28. An annular front member 29 is shown as supported from the backstop 20 to overlie the binding posts.

The scoreboard 15 is preferably located adjacent the teeing-off area 12, and mounted thereon, for each of the several targets is an incandescent electric lamp 30; each lamp having an electric circuit, and circuit control devices that will be energized upon the momentary contacting of any of the wires 27 with the metal disk 25, to cause the lamp to become illuminated and thus to register the hit.

The electric circuit and circuit control means as employed in connection with each target and its hit registering lamp 30 is like that shown diagrammatically in Fig. 4. In this diagram, at and y designate supply lines bringing electric current to the terminal posts 32 and 33. A wire 34 leads from post 33 to the metal plate 25. A wire 36 that has a connection with each of the contact wires 27, leads to and is connected to one side of the lamp; the lamp being connected at its other side by a wire 37 with the terminal post 32. A solenoid coil 40 has one end thereof connected by a wire 41 with the wire 36 and its other end connected by a wire 42 with a contact 43 of a normally closed push button switch designated by the dash line rectangle 44 in Fig. 4; the switch lever 45 being connected by a wire 46 with the wire 37. A spring 47 acts on lever 45 to urge it to circuit closing position and a push button 48 is applied to the lever for moving it to an open position.

Associated with the solenoid coil 40 is its armature lever 50. This lever is electrically connected by a wire 52 with the wire 36, and under magnetic influence of the energized solenoid it will be closed against a stationary contact 54 which has a circuit wire 55 connecting it with the circuit wire 34. A spring 56 normally acts on lever 50 to disengage it from contact 54.

With the circuits and associated parts so arranged, the striking of a driven golf ball against one of the targets is registered in the following way:

When a driven ball, such as that designated at 60 in Fig. 3, strikes any one of the cross-wires 27 of the target, it will momentarily press that wire against the metal plate 25. This contact will close an electric circuit through the solenoid coil 40 and the normally closed switch 44. Energization of the solenoid 40 causes the solenoid armature 50 to be actuated and held against the contact 54, thus to establish and maintain an electric circuit throughjhehit indicating lamp 30. After the hit has been noted on the scoreboard, the player can then reset the parts by pressing inwardly on'the push'button 48 and in this way moving the switch lever 45 to a circuitopening position freeoftthecontact 43. By opening.the switch 44, the solenoid 40 isQde-energized, and the springr56 .pulls .the.lever.50 fromthetcontact 54 thus opening the.lamp circuitrand, leaving the partsin readiness to record .the next hit.

It is to be understood that in lieu of tthe-wires 27, a flexible metal, plate similar to plate 25 might be used, and likewise, in lieu of .the signal lamps.30, other electricallyenergized meansmight be employed to .give visible or audible indication of a hit. For example, an electric bell, buzzer orenunciator.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein and desire to secure byzLetters Patent is:

A golf ,prac'tice apparatus, of the character described, comprisinga ,plurality of targets arranged on a ,golf course at varying distances, from a teeing area and positioned in suchrmanner as topermit them to-bestruck by balls driven from the teeing area, electrically operated hit indicators corresponding to the various targets located adjacent the teeing area, a normally open electric circuit for the respective targets and breach ofwsaid hit'indicators, each ,of said .targets comprising -a frame defining a target area, an electrically conductive plate mounted thereby within .the target area and faced toward the teeing area and having a circuit connection with Y one side of its respective hit indicator, a plurality of circuit wires disposed across the face of the plate in close relationshiptbereto and'toeach otherbutnottouching, each of said wires having a circuit connection with a circuit wire leading to the other side of the hit indicator and each wire being adapted upon being struck by a ball, as driven from the teeing area, to be pressed against the plate to momentarily close the energizing circuit of the corresponding hit indicator, a shunt connection between the circuit connections leading from said wires and plate, a normally open switch in said shunt connection, a solenoid connected in -and-operable incident to the momentary closingrof the hit indicator circuit .toeffeet the closing of said switch of the shunt connection thus to maintain an "energizing circuit 'through the hit indicator, and a normally closed switch in said hit indicator circuit, adapted to be manually opened thus to deenergize the solenoid to open the shunt circuit and to reset the .hit indicator.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,574,596 Barnett Feb. 23, 1926 1,869,642 Woolman Aug :2, .1932 2,011,146 Evans .-Aug. 13, 1935 2,054,604 Pence-ct a1. Sept. 15, 1936 2,248,053 Bales July 8, 1941 2,461,836 lNelson Feb. 15, .1949 2,701,140 'Fortino Feb. 1, *1955 

